West Cook News

Jake Wiktor signed with North Carolina State University's golf squad on National Signing Day.

Wiktor, a member of the class of 2021 at Fenwick High School, is one of only two freshmen who will be joining the Wolfpack next year. 

“That kid coming down from Chicago is going to be good for us,” NC State golf head coach Press McPhaul told West Cook News. 

Over the summer, Wiktor won the American Junior Golf Association Stan Utley And Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation Junior Championship. 

He has garnered All-Conference honors for three years in a row and was Chicago Catholic League’s Lawless Player of the Year. 

Wiktor also won this year's "Player of the Year" tournament.

McPhaul said he is looking forward to welcoming Wiktor to the program. 

“Jake has the ability to score,” McPhaul said. “He is a guy who putts and rolls the ball really well and is going to be able to step in for a chance to represent us at tournaments and make us better.” 

Golf coach John Perna, of Downers Grove-based TPS Player Service, connected Wiktor and McPhaul. Perna coached Wiktor for four years. 

McPhaul said recruiting this year was a struggle due to Covid as scouts were not able to view players in person much this year. 

“I was able to spend a lot of time on the computer on Zoom and on the phone with Jake getting to know him,” McPhaul said. ”I was able to view from his scores that he was a really good player and I was able to get a sense that we connected philosophically. Things like that are important to us.” 

Wiktor joins a program that is coming off of back-to-back top 25 seasons, one of which they advanced to the NCAA Championships. 

Wiktor’s parents are Mark and Jessie Wiktor of River Forest.